Finding Hope After Decades of Struggle

How a Ketogenic Diet Transformed My Life with Mental Illness

I've been diagnosed with a serious mental illness in my early twenties. Just as I was barely managing to finish my EEC degree and beginning my career, I had the misfortune of being prescribed antipsychotics for life. The side effects of the medication derailed my life. I could barely focus on my work and had significant difficulty keeping up with my teammates. On top of that, I gained 50kg in weight and was expected to endure this ordeal for the rest of my life.

My father was terminally ill, slowly dying from osteosarcoma—an untreatable cancer at the time. He was my hero, and my life started falling apart while I was still a young adult. My boss at the time decided to fire me due to my poor performance (I was a programmer, and my ability to concentrate and manage anxiety was almost zero).

By an incredible stroke of luck, I was prescribed amisulpride to help me cope with the depression I was experiencing (this drug is prohibited in the US for reasons I still cannot understand). It worked much better than any other medication I had tried, and I managed to start my career as a programmer, though I never quite reached the full potential of a good developer.

I still had my struggles, and then, on one particularly unhappy day, I decided to taper off my medication. I went into full-blown psychosis and was hospitalized for three months. By the end of the treatment, I was prescribed enough medication that I could barely function as a person—I could hardly put a full sentence together, and suicidal thoughts took over my mind. It took one and a half years to reduce the medication and return to amisulpride. I took my chance by sending my CV to a London-based company that was hiring in Portugal, and I got the job.

A few months later, I moved to London to work for the company, and I had a great time working with a wonderful group of people. I've been steadily working as a programmer ever since, though not without challenges. My medication dosage, while not as high as it was after my hospitalization, was still significant, and I had to adjust it from time to time while working full-time. During those adjustments, I used to say, "I will have to look stupid at work for a week," as it was the only way I could manage my symptoms. Then I would get better, and my productivity would increase.

About six months ago, I heard of Dr. Chris Palmer and his book Brain Energy. Dr. Palmer discussed his experience as a Harvard psychiatrist treating patients with treatment-resistant mental illness using a ketogenic diet, with extremely positive outcomes that no medication had achieved so far. Could this be true? After barely managing my illness with medication for the last 22 years, could there be a treatment that would significantly improve my symptoms and perhaps even allow me to taper off my medication?

So, about two months ago, I started cooking ketogenic meals for myself, and as a result:

• I lost 22kg

• My energy throughout the day increased significantly

• My ability to focus improved substantially

• I was able to taper my medication to two-thirds of my previous daily dosage

I feel like I've never felt in my entire life. It’s still too early to be sure if the treatment is really working, but for now, I’m a happy man. Hope is something that people with this illness are desperately seeking. I’m writing this post to share my story and spread awareness of Dr. Palmer’s work. Do your own research—do not blindly trust anyone, but get informed about metabolic therapies for mental health (check the Metabolic Mind site for more information).

Thank you for reading this post, and best of luck in your endeavors!